A Finnish distillery is getting hot and steamy with a whisky partially matured in the most unusual of environments: a sauna. Kyrö recently launched the inaugural expression in their Sauna Stories series. In what is believed to be a world first, this will be a collection of whiskies aged in a sauna-like environment.
It’s not that outlandish a prospect (well, it is, but bear with us), given the place sauna’s have within Finnish culture. Indeed, the idea of founding an all-rye distillery was born among a group of friends on a visit to a sauna.
This expressions takes malted rye whisky and finishes it in Planteray rum casks housed in a specially built ‘sauna’. There, the barrels are gently heated to achieve an internal temperature of up to 50°C. It’s a surprisingly sustainable practice as well, as the sauna sheared by excess energy from the distillation process.
In some ways the sauna-method borrows from ideas around aging whisky in warmer climates, where the heat essentially ‘matures’ the spirit faster. Compounds are drawn from the barrels resulting in a richer flavour in a shorter period of time compared to cooler environments, while any off-notes essentially ‘sweat out’.
All this talk of sweaty secretion isn't the most appetising discussion we've ever had, but we’re promised the whisky is a uniquely mellow dram - as one might feel after a good session in a sauna in fact.
The resulting whisky is full of character, bottled at 50.8% ABV with notes of creamy vanilla, brown sugar, tropical fruits and lingering rye spices. There’s no official serving suggestion, but we guess it might be best enjoyed wearing a towel in a very warm room (Note: bevvy doesn’t officially condone drinking in a sauna).
Kalle Valkonen, head distiller of Kyrö Distillery, said: “I think it’s only natural that we make whisky in a way that reflects the culture we reside in. And the fact that Finnish whisky history is nearly non-existent positions us as trailblazers.”
Founder and marketing director Mikko Koskinen added: “Our goal is to bring people together over rye spirits, and we let this guide our production and communication. We need to make spirits that are interesting for connoisseurs, delicious for beginners and inspiring for all.”
Kyrö Sauna Stories No.1 is limited to just 1,908 bottles with an RRP of €149.90.
A critic might say it’s not cool to rely so heavily on a gimmick such as sauna-inspired maturation when marketing a whisky, but we take our hats off to Kyrö for continuing to innovate in the relatively new field of Finnish whisky.
